Improvement in wagon-hounds



W. MERCER.

WAGoN HoUNns. No.174,835, Patented March 14, 1876.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM MERCER, OF GREENFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA.v

IMPROVEMENT IN `WAGION-HOUNDS.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 174,835. (lated March14, 1576; applicati-011 filed December 8, 1875.

To allwhom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM MERCER, ofGreenfield, in the county of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriage- Hounds, ofwhich the following is a specification:

This invention relates to certain improvements in the construction ofthe front hounds of carriages and wagons, its object being to preventthe axle from being thrown out of what is technically known as the setand gather,77 and keep it always in a horizontal or nearl y horizontalposition, and, further, to provide for the proper play ofthe reachbetween the axle and sand-board without cutting away or hollowing outeither ofthe same, as is customary, ,thus materially adding to. theirstrength.

The invention consists in constructing the hounds with the upper andlower sliders complete in one piece, the said sliders being formed bycutting or sawing a longitudinal slot in the timber which forms thehound, and afterward bending the hound to proper shape'.`

In the drawing, Figure l represents a perspective view of my invention,and Fig. 2 a front view ofthe same.

lhe letter c represents the hound, which is composed of asuitably-shaped bar of proper material. Said bar, previously to beingbent, is sawed, cut, or otherwise slotted longitudinally, so as to i'ormthe upper and lower sliders a c, between which the reach d of the wagonpasses, the slot being of sufficient length .to

allow the said reach to have sufficient play therein. Letter drepresents the sand-board, and b thefront axle, of the vehicle, which isprovided with recesses or mortises e e atopposite ends, which lit overthe ends ofthe hounds, the whole being firmly securedtogether by meansof bolts, screws, or in any other convenient manner, leaving sufcientspace between the axle and sand-board to receive the forward end of thereach and allow suflicient play to the same. v

The slot in the hound may be cut of sufficient width to allow of thepassage of the reach between the sliders, or the wood may be simplydivided or split for a sucient distance by saw cut or otherwise, and theopposite portions or sliders separated sufficiently to admit of thepassage of the reach between them by bending them apart in anyconvenient manner.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

A carriage or wagon hound formed with the sliders complete in one piece,by splitting or slotting the timber longitudinally for a proper distancebetween its ends; and bending it into proper shape, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that -I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand inthe presence of the subscribing witnesses.

WM. MERCER.

Witnesses R. GALLAGEE, J osEPH SoWERs.

